NEW YORK, Nov. 13, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- The Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc. (NASDAQ(r)) (Nasdaq:NDAQ) and Clean Edge, Inc. today announced that First Trust Advisors L.P. has licensed the NASDAQ(r) Clean Edge(r) U.S. Liquid Series Index, an innovative and powerful tool for clean-energy investors, in order to launch a new exchange traded fund (ETF). The First Trust NASDAQ(r) Clean Edge(r) U.S. Liquid Series Index Fund will begin trading in January 2007. The ETF will be managed by First Trust Advisors L.P. and listed on NASDAQ.
The NASDAQ Clean Edge U.S. Liquid Series Fund is designed to correspond to the price and yield performance of the index upon which it is based. ETFs are financial products that trade like shares of stock and can be bought and sold throughout the trading day.
"As the world's economy shifts away from fossil fuel dependency towards efficient, renewable energy sources, investment opportunities are being created daily in this new industry," explains NASDAQ Executive Vice President John Jacobs. "This index, and the ETF based on it, will provide the tools needed to capture the investment opportunities created by this economic shift."
"First Trust is proud to team up with NASDAQ once again to launch this new product on one of the most innovative exchanges in the world," said First Trust Advisors Managing Director Scott Hall. "We have a long and successful history with NASDAQ and hope to continue this great relationship with additional listings of new ETFs in the future."
"The NASDAQ Clean Edge U.S. index provides a benchmark for investors interested in participating in a range of technology innovations, from advanced batteries and biofuels to solar power and energy efficiency," adds Ron Pernick, Co-Founder and Principal of Clean Edge, Inc.
The NASDAQ Clean Edge U.S. Liquid Series Index (Nasdaq:CELS), developed jointly by NASDAQ and Clean Edge, is designed to track the performance of clean-energy companies that are publicly traded in the U.S. The NASDAQ Clean Edge U.S. Liquid Series Index includes companies engaged in the manufacturing, development, distribution, and installation of emerging clean-energy technologies such as solar photovoltaics, biofuels, and advanced batteries. The four major sub-sectors the index covers are Renewable Fuels and Electricity Generation, Energy Storage & Conversion, Energy Intelligence, and Advanced Energy-Related Materials.
Earlier this year NASDAQ launched a performance benchmark for this sector, known as the NASDAQ Clean Edge U.S. Index (Nasdaq:CLEN). The NASDAQ Clean Edge U.S. Liquid Series Index is designed specifically as a more liquid variation of the performance benchmark, further supporting trading products such as this ETF.
About Clean Edge
Clean Edge, Inc., with offices in Oakland, Calif. and Portland, Ore., is a leading research and publishing firm that helps companies, investors, and policymakers understand and profit from clean technologies. Through its research and reports, conferences and events, online publications, and strategic consulting services, Clean Edge tracks and analyzes clean-tech markets, trends, and opportunities. Launched in 2001 by environmental and high-tech business pioneers Ron Pernick and Joel Makower, Clean Edge and its network of partners and affiliates offer unparalleled insight and intelligence. For more information, visit www.cleanedge.com.
About NASDAQ
NASDAQ(r) is the largest electronic screen-based equity securities market in the United States. With approximately 3,200 companies, it lists more companies and, on average, trades more shares per day than any other U.S. market. It is home to companies that are leaders across all areas of business including technology, retail, communications, financial services, transportation, media and biotechnology. NASDAQ is the primary market for trading NASDAQ-listed stocks. For more information about NASDAQ, visit the NASDAQ Web site at www.nasdaq.com or the NASDAQ Newsroom at www.nasdaq.com/newsroom/.
About First Trust Advisors L.P.
First Trust Advisors L.P., a registered investment adviser, is an Illinois limited partnership formed in 1991. First Trust Portfolios L.P., the largest independent unit investment trust sponsor in North America (by sales), is an affiliate of First Trust Advisors. First Trust Advisors serves as an investment adviser to separately managed accounts, insurance companies, profit-sharing plans, and charitable foundations and endowments. First Trust Advisors currently manages or supervises approximately $26 billion in assets as of 9/29/06. You should consider the Fund's investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses carefully before investing. Call 800-621-1675 to request a prospectus, which contains this and other information about the Fund. Read it carefully before you invest or send money. Like all investment company securities, the shares of the Fund are not insured by the FDIC or any other government agency, are not issued or guaranteed by any bank, and may lose value.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
The matters described herein contain forward-looking statements that are made under the Safe Harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements about the exchange traded fund and the index the fund is designed track, including the timing and possible benefits of each. We caution that these statements are not guarantees of future performance. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties or other factors beyond NASDAQ's control. These factors include, but are not limited to, factors detailed in NASDAQ's annual report on Form 10-K, and periodic reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. We undertake no obligation to release any revisions to any forward-looking statements.